Daily updates about Syria

5/23/2014

Walid Kamal Shabbat, a doctor in Syria known for performing 2,763 surgeries in Daraa in the last year, was killed along with three of his medical staff when their field hospital was hit by a barrel bomb.

After taking the Aleppo Central Prison, the Syrian military appears to be preparing to move west of the prison towards Hryatan. They are also still pushing to take the Sheikh Najjar industrial area in the northeast of Aleppo. Taking both of these areas would allow the government to cut-off supplies to the eastern half of the city.

–The rebels control of the surrounding countryside would make a siege of Aleppo very difficult to achieve.

–Rebels in east Aleppo are not very coherent with each other, while rebels in west Aleppo are much more unified and do a better job of coordinating with each other.

Ban Ki-moon said that the UN preparing to send aid via borders outside of the government’s control.

–He said that 9.3 million people, including 6.5 million who have been displaced by fighting, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and the government has failed to care for its people.

Russia is sending two observers to monitor the June 3rd election.

22 people were killed and 30 injured when a campaign rally in support of Assad was hit by rebel shelling in Daraa city.

The ISIL summarily executed 30 fighters from the Islamic Front and Jahbat al-Nusra in the village of Al-Shola in Deir Ez Zor.

The NATO commander in Europe, Gen. Philip Breedlove, said that there are fighters from all NATO members in Syria right now.

Rebels captured Tal Um Horan, near Nawa.

In Aleppo province, government forces retreated from Tel Balat in the face of an ISIL advance.